Kenyan poll protests turn deadly

Police shoot dead two protesters

NAIROBI: Kenyan police shot dead two people and wounded a third during an opposition protest against a looming presidential vote rerun yesterday.

About 20 youths attempted to take over a police station during an otherwise peaceful rally in the town of Bondo in the south-west county of Siaya, forcing officers to open fire, County Commissioner Josephine Onunga said. Police also used tear gas to break up small demonstrations in Kenya’s three main cities – Kisumu, the capital Nairobi and the port of Mombasa, where protesters defied a government ban on rallies in city centres.

Kenya’s supreme court nullified the presidential election in August, citing procedural irregularities and voiding the victory of President Uhuru Kenyatta, opening the way to a repeat vote on October 26.

But opposition leader Raila Odinga has refused to take part, saying the rerun should not happen until wide-ranging reforms are implemented to prevent a repeat failure. The election board said the polls would go ahead anyway, pitting Kenyatta against six other candidates, none of whom polled more than 1% in the August election.

Odinga said he might consider returning to the Supreme Court for clarification on whether the October 26 poll would be legal.

“As far as we are concerned, that (original Supreme court) ruling is still valid,” Odinga said during a visit to London.

“What we are demanding is that the electoral commission should respect the Supreme Court and carry out elections in accordance with the ruling.”

He supported protesters’ right to demonstrate, he said, but he has so far stopped short of calling people onto the streets himself.

Martin Kimani, the director of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, said the opposition was trying to manufacture a crisis.

“A lot of those provocations or demonstrations taking place are an attempt to create the appearance of a crisis,” he said. “There is a clear process on how to hold an assembly – it is about maintaining law and order.”

In Nairobi, opposition legislators were repeatedly teargassed as they tried to drive into the city centre.

“We are asking Uhuru’s government to... let us protest in peace and truth and we are saying we want change and we do not want Uhuru and his people,” said protester Mellen Kirumbo.

In Kisumu, a stronghold of Odinga support, protesters reacted angrily when police turned water cannon on them to prevent them from entering the city centre.

“Our demonstrations have a (valid) basis and are peaceful,” said Odinga supporter Hezron Tirus Aloyo. – Reuters

PICTURE: REUTERS Supporters of the Kenyan National Super Alliance opposition coalition, react after riot police officers fired tear gas canisters to disperse them during a demonstration in Mombasa, Kenya yesterday.